Athletic attire with integrated perspiration absorbing material

ABSTRACT

An upper body athletic garment is disclosed with a built-in piece of material that is absorbent on one side and moisture wicking on the other side that acts as a towel allowing the wearer to wipe away perspiration during an athletic or other strenuous activity without needing to stop and locate a towel or cloth. The piece of material is typically attached to the inside of the garment connected at the neck and running all or most of the length of the garment across the chest with the moisture wicking side in contact with the skin to provide passive moisture control. The piece of material can be shaped, located, and fastened in multiple ways and can be duplicated in some versions and run along the sides of the garment. The piece of material can also be fastened and hang either wholly or partially to the outside of the garment and can be attached by means of fasteners, adhesives, or other means or may be stitched or otherwise permanently connected to the garment at the neck. The piece of material may also be connected additionally to the bottom edge or close to the bottom edge of the garment. The material may be made of a dual layer of moisture absorbent and moisture wicking materials or may be made out of a single moisture absorbent material like a towel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/440,996 filed Dec. 30, 2016. The content of the above application is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention relates to athletic attire, and more particularly to an athletic shirt with perspiration absorbing material that is partially attached to the interior surface of the athletic shirt.

BACKGROUND

Designs for athletic attire must constantly balance a number of often competing desirable features such as the desire of athletes to stay cool, the necessity for athletes to be able to move freely and unencumbered, and the desirability for attire to be as light as possible while still retaining enough rigidity and durability to withstand impacts and sudden movements. Athletes are also in constant need of ways to manage the accumulation of perspiration particularly around the face and head where same can pose not just inconvenience but even danger in addition to the hazards caused by perspiration accumulating on the ground. Traditionally perspiration control was managed by athletes excusing themselves from play to make use of a towel or cloth, requiring them to interrupt their play and waste precious time in the process. Other approaches have included athletes taking some form of towel or cloth with them into play however this has proven impractical and cumbersome not to mention potentially hazardous and in others is forbidden by the rules of the sport often for the same reasons.

Therefore, it is desired to have an athletic shirt or jersey that incorporates a length of material that has the ability to absorb or wipe away the perspiration of the athlete during an activity while retaining the flexibility, lightness, and security of the garment and which allows uninterrupted play.

Various attempts have been made to provide means of perspiration control by way of implements attached to articles of clothing. Previously filed patents exist that describe such implements. However, they do not provide an adequate solution that combines all of the necessary and desirable features of unobtrusiveness and concealability; a sufficiently large surface area for effective perspiration absorption and wicking so as to avoid rapid saturation; coverage for the critical parts of the body namely the head, face, neck, and arms that typically remain exposed during activity; a configuration that allows for fast utilization so as to not interrupt an activity in progress or to interrupt as minimally as possible; and a dual wicking and absorbing action both passive and active to maximize perspiration control and abatement. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,901 describes an athletic shirt wherein one or more pieces of absorbent material are permanently stitched or sewn into the inside of the garment but the permanent nature of the installations requires the wearer to lift the entire garment above the face and makes reaching the head, neck, and arms impractical and revealing of the chest and other parts of the body which would in many cases be undesirable especially for female wearers. Likewise U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,236 describes an article of lower body wear such as a skirt or shorts with a detachable sheet of absorbing material in the form of a towel however the placement of this towel on the lower part of the body requires that the sheet be completely detached in order to be used for the head, neck, face, and arms and then replaced which can be very impractical, requires the wearer to stop and focus on detaching the towel and replacing it when done, and poses a risk of the towel dropping to the ground and becoming soiled and/or posing a slipping or tripping hazard. U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,343 describes a towel-like appendage secured to the outside of an upper body garment at the back side which placement presents a significant encumbrance to easily accessing the appendage for the wearer unless same is of sufficient width to span the majority of the wearer's back requiring the appendage to be bulky and heavy; placing the appendage on the back also makes same counterproductive to ameliorating perspiration since the wearer's back is now covered by an extra layer of material which promotes heat retention. Other patents describe athletic garments outfitted with non-removable strips or patches of hydrophilic material which serve to wick moisture away from the wearer's skin such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,769,716 and 8,360,816 however such garments are of limited utility since the moisture wicking material must be integrated into the garment and be largely skin tight to be effective and thus do not allow the wearer to use the garment to remove perspiration from particularly the face and neck.

Thus, despite multiple attempts at providing a garment-integrated method of perspiration control each solution thus presented contains numerous drawbacks that have not been addressed. A garment with an integrated concealable yet translatable and manipulable piece of material that provides both moisture wicking and moisture absorbing usage would be eminently useful to all participants in not just athletic and recreational but also laborious activities such as construction, moving, and even military exercises.

SUMMARY

Disclosed is an athletic upper body garment with an attached piece of mostly hydrophilic material attached to the inside of the garment at the neck line and running most of the distance from the neck opening to the bottom edge of the garment.

The disclosed invention comprises an athletic garment which provides the wearer with a secured, concealed, and quickly utilizable means of abating perspiration about the head, neck, face, and arms without the need to interrupt an ongoing activity or wait for a scheduled break time to make use of a towel or cloth for the same purpose.

The following embodiments and descriptions are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other aspects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description.

Certain terminology and derivations thereof may be used in the following description for convenience in reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, words such as “upward,” “downward,” “left,” and “right” would refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made unless otherwise stated. Similarly, words such as “inward” and “outward” would refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of a device or area and designated parts thereof. References in the singular tense include the plural, and vice versa, unless otherwise noted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Also, the drawings included herein are considered by the applicant to be informal.

FIG. 1 depicts a front view of an athletic article of clothing inside out showing a strip of material, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a front view of the athletic article of clothing inside out with a portion of the strip of material detached from the athletic article of clothing, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a front view of the athletic article of clothing, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts a front view of the athletic article of clothing with a portion of the strip of material pulled through a neck opening of the athletic garment, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the Summary above, this Detailed Description, the claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features (including method steps) of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally.

The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean that other components, ingredients, steps, among others, are optionally present. For example, an article “comprising” (or “which comprises”) components A, B, and C can consist of (i.e., contain only) components A, B, and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C but also contain one or more other components.

Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method can include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility).

The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range beginning with that number (which may be a range having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example, “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “at most” followed by a number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “at most 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. When, in this specification, a range is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a first number)-(a second number),” this means a range whose limit is the second number. For example, 25 to 100 mm means a range whose lower limit is 25 mm and upper limit is 100 mm.

The present invention is comprised of an athletic shirt, jersey, or article of clothing designed to cover the torso and arms of the wearer that has a strip of material attached at or near the neck opening on the inside of the athletic garment that has either or both hydrophilic properties drawing or wicking moisture away from the wearer's skin and moisture absorbent properties that allow the wearer to wipe and remove perspiration from the skin. This allows the wearer to easily remove perspiration from their chest, neck, face, hair, nose, eyes, eyebrows, ears, lips, mouth, jawline, head, or other features of the wearer's face, head, or neck (hereinafter “neck and head”) without the need to leave the game, practice, or athletic activity.

This invention greatly reduces or eliminates the need for the wearer to interrupt an activity in order to manage perspiration particularly around the face, head, and neck and thereby mitigates a significant amount of danger which arises from perspiration accumulating on the ground or on the wearer's clothing, hands, or other body parts which may lead to slip and fall and other related injuries. Fast and greater frequency of perspiration removal from the wearer's face also eliminates or greatly reduces the risk of sodium chloride-laden perspiration getting into the user's eyes causing potentially dangerous burning, tearing, and irritation and similarly around the user's face, head, and neck.

This invention eliminates the use and need for towels during workouts and games. It is very common for a player to mistake their towel for another's towel and this results in neither party utilizing the proper towels and both parties spreading germs and sicknesses to other athletes. With this invention the “towel” has now become part of the wearer's outfit. The benefits of a ready at hand towel that is attached in a non-obtrusive way to the wearer's athletic garment are numerous and include saving considerable amounts of time that instead of being spent seeking and acquiring a towel can be redirected for other purposes such as coaching and instruction.

As will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, each of the individual embodiments described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features which may be readily separated from or combined with the features of any of the other several embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particular embodiments described, as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are now described.

All publications and patents cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patent were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference and are incorporated herein by reference to disclose and describe the methods and/or materials in connection with which the publications are cited. The citation of any publication is for its disclosure prior to the filing date and should not be construed as an admission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate such publication by virtue of prior invention. Further, the dates of publication provided may be different from the actual publication dates which may need to be independently confirmed.

It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It is further noted that the claims may be drafted to exclude any optional element. As such, this statement is intended to serve as antecedent basis for use of such exclusive terminology as “solely,” “only” and the like in connection with the recitation of claim elements, or use of a “negative” limitation.

FIG. 1 depicts a top view of the athletic article of clothing 100 inside out showing the strip of material 105, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, the athletic garment 102 is designed for use in the sport of basketball. In alternative embodiments, the athletic garment 102 may be designed for soccer, football, baseball, track, cross training, or any other non-water sport. In the preferred embodiment, the athletic garment 102 covers the majority of the wearer's body excepting two arm openings, a neck opening, and a tubular design. In alternative embodiments, the athletic garment may be comprised of any appropriate upper garment design including but not limited to a tank top shirt, a polo style button collared shirt, a turtle neck shirt or sweater, a tube or halter top shirt, or an athletic sports bra. In alternative embodiments, the athletic garment may be comprised of a single piece entire body garment such as a swimsuit, gymnastics outfit, overalls, or one piece zippered work or military uniform. The athletic garment 102 may be made from a single piece of material, or may be made from a plurality of pieces of material that are attached together. In the preferred embodiment, the material of athletic garment 102 is primarily a synthetic fabric such as nylon or polyester of comparatively lightweight but strong construction and typically hydrophobic. In alternative embodiments, the athletic garment 102 is comprised of a non-hydrophobic (hydrophilic) material that may passively absorb the perspiration of the wearer during their performance and can be used to wick.

In the preferred embodiment, the strip of material 104 is removably attached to the inside of the athletic garment 102, substantially at the neck opening of athletic wear 102. The strip of material 104 has a predetermined width and length. In the preferred embodiment, the strip of material 104 is the width of the neck opening and substantially the length of the athletic garment 102. In alternative embodiments, the width, length, the size of the strip of material 104 may be any suitable size and shape. In the preferred embodiment, the hydrophilic material is cut to contour to the neck line of the athletic garment 102. In alternative embodiments, the strip of material 104 may be comprised of any suitable length, design, cut, and contour. In the preferred embodiment, the hydrophilic material has varying widths to produce an hour glass or triangular shape. In alternative embodiments, the strip of material 104 has hydrophilic properties. This hydrophilic material may be comprised of, but is not limited to, microfiber, bamboo, cotton, polyesters, absorbent polymers, or fabrics which transfer moisture away from the skin while regulating the movement and evaporation of that moisture through the fabric to produce a cooling effect on the wearer's skin. In alternative embodiments, the strip of material 104 may not have hydrophilic properties and may be made from the same material as the athletic garment 102 and be used to remove or wipe the sweat away from the wear's head and neck. In alternative embodiments, the strip of material 104 may be comprised of any other hydrophilic material and may be used to absorb and remove moisture from the wearer's skin.

FIG. 2 depicts a top view of the preferred embodiment of the athletic article of clothing 100 inside out with a portion of the strip of material 104 detached from the athletic garment 102. The strip of material 104 is attached to the athletic garment 102 in a predetermined position to allow the wearer to remove a portion of the strip of material 104 from the athletic garment 102 to remove perspiration from the wearer's neck and head. In the preferred embodiment, the strip of material 104 is attached permanently or semi-permanently to the athletic garment 102 by non-removable fasteners 106 but not connected over the remaining surface area of the strip, allowing the wearer to lift and move the strip over the wearer's arms, neck, face, and head in the manner of a towel or wash cloth. Additionally, the strip of material 104 is attached to the athletic garment 102 by a plurality of removable fasteners 106 positioned along the edge of the neck opening of the athletic garment 102. In the preferred embodiment, the removable fastener 106 is a hook and loop style fastener. In alternative embodiments, other types of removable fasteners 106 such as but not limited to snap fasteners, clips, clamps, adhesives, or the like may be used. In alternative embodiments, the strip of material 104 is permanently or semi-permanently attached to the athletic garment 102 by means of stitching, adhesives, or similar suitable means. In alternative embodiments, the strip of material 104 is integrated into the athletic garment 102. In alternative embodiments, the strip of material 104 seamlessly integrates into the athletic garment 102 with a unitary construction, without any distinct stitching or boarders between the two elements.

In the preferred embodiment, the strip of material 104 is constructed of two materials layered together. This design may be used so that the wearer has more options when wiping down their neck and head. For example, one side of the strip of material 104 may be an absorbent material, while the other side may be a cooling absorbent material to assist in removing heat from the wearer's skin. In alternative embodiments, the strip of material 104 is made of a single or composite hydrophilic material.

In alternative embodiments, two strips of material 104 are connected to the inside of the athletic garment 102 at the left and right sides secured by a plurality of fasteners to the partial circumference of the inside of the arm openings.

FIG. 3 depicts a top view of the athletic article of clothing 100, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, the strip of material 104 is not exposed outside of the athletic garment 102 and is substantially not visible from the outside of the athletic garment 102. In alternative embodiments, the strip of material 104 may be exposed outside of the athletic garment 102 at the neck opening, below the bottom opening, or through the arm openings. In alternative embodiments, the strip of material 104 may be visible through the athletic garment 102 depending on the color and material of the athletic garment 102, and the color and material of the strip of material 104. In alternative embodiments, the strip of material 104 is fastened to and hangs entirely outside the athletic garment 102. In alternative embodiments, the strip of material 104 is partially fastened and positioned inside and partially outside the athletic garment either equally on each side or with more material exposed on one side than the other. In alternative embodiments, the strip of material 104 is additionally attached to the bottom rim or proximate to the bottom rim of the inside of the athletic article of clothing for additional protection from movement or bunching.

FIG. 4 depicts a top view of the athletic article of clothing 100 with a portion of the strip of material 104 partially pulled through the neck opening of the athletic garment 102, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, a portion of the hydrophilic material is pulled through the neck opening and exposed on the exterior surface of the athletic garment 102. The portion of the hydrophilic material that is removable from the inside of the athletic garment 102 is dependent upon the portion of the hydrophilic material which is attached to the athletic garment 102.

The following paragraphs provide an example of the use of the strip of material 104 according to the preferred embodiment. This example is for purposes of illustration only and pertains only to the preferred embodiment of the invention without limiting the variations of the athletic garment 102, the strip of material 104, and the configurations of same according to the preferred and alternative embodiments disclosed above.

In the preferred embodiment, the wearer would first align and attach the strip of material 104 based on the reciprocal attachment points where fasteners 106 are located. In alternative embodiments, the wearer would also align and attach the strip of material 104 to an additional set of fasteners located proximate the bottom rim of the inside of the athletic garment 102. The athlete would then don the athletic garment 102 and determine if the strip of material 104 was properly situated on the inside of the garment. Before, during, or after the performance, if the athlete wanted to remove perspiration from their neck, head, face, or arms they would reach into the neck opening of their athletic wear 102, remove the nonattached portion of the strip of material 104 and either wick away the perspiration or absorb the perspiration in like manner to a towel or cloth. The athlete would then push the strip of material 104 back down into the athletic garment 102 and continue on with the performance with minimal interruption to the performance or downtime. After the performance and depending upon the embodiment of how the athletic garment 102 and material are attached, the athlete removes the strip of material 104 from the athletic garment 102 and is able to wash or replace the strip of material 104 separately from the athletic garment 102.

While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

While preferred and alternate embodiments have been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the Athletic Attire With Integrated Perspiration Absorbing Material. Accordingly, the scope of the Athletic Attire With Integrated Perspiration Absorbing Material not limited by the disclosure of these preferred and alternate embodiments. Instead, the scope of the Athletic Attire With Integrated Perspiration Absorbing Material be determined entirely by reference to the claims. Insofar as the description above and the accompanying drawings (if any) disclose any additional subject matter that is not within the scope of the claims below, the inventions are not dedicated to the public and Applicant hereby reserves the right to file one or more applications to claim such additional inventions.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with this specification and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent, or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35. U.S.C. § 112 ¶6. In particular, the use of “step of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of U.S.C. § 112 ¶6. 

We claim:
 1. An upper body garment comprising: a tubular body of substantially hydrophobic material having a neck opening; arm openings; a front side and a back side; and a strip of hydrophilic material removably attached by means of a plurality of fasteners to the inside of the front side of the neck opening of the tubular body, wherein the hydrophilic material extends a predetermined distance from the neck opening and is unattached from the tubular body.
 2. The upper body garment as in claim 1 wherein the strip of hydrophilic material is comprised of a two-layered material wherein one layer comprises a hydrophilic material and one side comprises a hydrophobic material.
 3. The upper body garment as in claim 1 wherein the strip of hydrophilic material is secured removably to the upper body garment with a plurality of hooks and loops.
 4. The upper body garment as in claim 1 wherein the strip of hydrophilic material is secured removably to the upper body garment with a plurality of hook and loop fastener strips.
 5. The upper body garment as in claim 1 wherein the strip of hydrophilic material is secured removably to the upper body garment through a plurality of holes, eyelets, or loops through which is passed a plurality of laces.
 6. The upper body garment as in claim 1 wherein the strip of hydrophilic material is secured removably to the upper body garment with a plurality of adhesive strips.
 7. The upper body garment as in claim 1 wherein the strip of hydrophilic material is permanently secured to the upper body garment.
 8. The upper body garment as in claim 1 wherein the strip of hydrophilic material is formed from an extension of the material comprising the upper body garment attached to a layer of hydrophilic material.
 9. The upper body garment as in claim 1 wherein the strip of hydrophilic material is attached to the outside of the neck opening of the tubular body of the upper body garment.
 10. The upper body garment as in claim 1 wherein the strip of hydrophilic material is attached partially inside and partially outside of the neck opening of the tubular body of the upper body garment.
 11. The upper body garment as in claim 1 wherein the strip of hydrophilic material is attached to the neck opening of the tubular body and to the bottom rim of the tubular body of the upper body garment.
 12. The upper body garment as in claim 1 wherein the strip of hydrophilic material is comprised of a rectangularly shaped piece of material.
 13. The upper body garment as in claim 1 wherein the strip of hydrophilic material is comprised of an hourglass shaped piece of material.
 14. The upper body garment as in claim 1 wherein the strip of hydrophilic material is comprised of an oval shaped piece of material.
 15. The upper body garment as in claim 1 wherein the upper body garment is comprised of an additional strip of hydrophilic material and each strip of hydrophilic material is attached to the arm opening of the tubular body on the left and right sides. 